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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · wave · hide · calf · temple · present · net · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. present — there
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. present — the time now
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — in sport
  23. field — for sport
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com